At this point I was committed to this series entirely, so when I was done with Unholy Sins I immediately grabbed Killer Kiss by Elle Thorpe. It might have also been because I knew one of my absolute favorite characters was making a return to the Saint View Universe and I needed more of him in my life.
Killer Kiss by Elle Thorpe
Killer Kiss by Elle Thorpe is the third book in the Saint View Strip series. It is a dark romance published on March 1st, 2024 and is 382 pages long. Every book in the series follows it’s own couple, but in order to follow the over arching plot the series should be read in order. Killer Kiss is a slow burn, first person dual POV, with characters in their 30s. You can find the book on the author’s website here, Amazon, and Kindle Unlimited.
Premise
Auggie has been searching for his pseudo little sister, Fawn, ever since she went missing. Flyers up, handed out, and scouring Saint View and the city for any sign of her. So when Fawn’s estranged sister and brother show up out of the blue, he’s not quick to give them any of the information they’re demanded. They weren’t there for Fawn when she needed them, they didn’t get to swoop in and try to be concerned now.
Ophelia is determined to find her younger sister, the only sweet thing to come from her parents. While her and her brother Vincent/Scythe followed in the footsteps of their parents, however unwillingly, Fawn escaped them all and she let her go. She feels a heavy responsibility in how her sister is missing, and Auggie isn’t helping matters at all.
Triggers
Triggers found in Killer Kiss by Elle Thorpe include:
- Kidnapping
- Sexually Explicit Scenes
- Murder, Gun Violence, stabbing, blood, gore
- Past child abandonment
- Past child abuse
- Prostitution
- House fire
My Thoughts
Killer Kiss by Elle Thorpe is an enemies to lovers dark romance that brings us fully into the darkness of Saint View once again. The last two books in the series, while still dark, were lighter than what I’d come to expect from Elle. It was refreshing, and honestly makes me want to give her contemporary books a try too.
However, diving into this book I knew early on we were getting back to the darkness because my absolute favorite character in the Saint View Universe (so far,) Scythe/Vincent was making an appearance. If you don’t know who that is, he is from Saint View Psychos as well as Ophelia.
I could not put this book down, because I absolutely fell for every single last one of the characters. Up until this book we’d seen Auggie as the kind of grumpy side character who, in order to make ends meet, was a prostitute. He’s the grump you want to love and in this book you will in fact fall in love.
“I told you. Don’t call me sweetheart.” “Nah, I like that it pisses you off.” – Killer Kiss by Elle Thorpe
His love for Fawn, the little sister he never had but kinda adopted in the time they knew each other, is fantastic. He’s bound and determined to find her, searching everywhere he can and asking anyone who’s willing to pause to look at her picture. Which was how Ophelia, Fawn’s estranged sister, even found out she was missing.
“An English tea for my very distinguished gentleman friend.” – Killer Kiss by Elle Thorpe
What Auggie doesn’t know is the actual reason why Fawn was estranged from her family so he’s not quite willing to trust Ophelia or Vincent/Scythe with any information. That’s not going to stop Ophelia from finding out ever damn thing she can while irritating Auggie till no end.
As with the last two books, the spice doesn’t hit until a little over half way through, mainly because these two main characters cannot stand each other in the slightest. However, when that spice does hit, it’s nothing but tension snapping, leaving the two of them creating some of the hottest scenes ever.
There are quite a few twists in this story, some evil ass people, fires, family drama on both sides, and a story line that will keep you guessing. The growth that both of these characters show is fantastic, but in order to avoid spoilers I won’t dive into specifics.
Just know that you are going to be taken through a whole range of emotions between these two. It’s worth every single page you read.
“Tell me. Whatever it is, I’ll take care of it.” He put his lips to my forehead and breathed in deep. “I’ll take care of you.” – Killer Kiss by Elle Thorpe
All of our Saint View Strip family makes an appearance in this book, and we also get a few appearances from characters we’ve seen in the other series too. Bliss and her whole ground show up in this one, which was to be expected with Vincent/Scythe being around too.
If you’re look for dark, hit man/woman, murder with high stakes and twists that will guessing, as well as loads of banter, you’re going to want to read this book.
Who Would Like Killer Kiss by Elle Thorpe?
Tropes found in Killer Kiss by Elle Thorpe include:
- Found Family
- Hit Woman
- Enemies to Lovers
- Family Drama
Make sure you check out all of my Saint View Strip recommendations below:
If you liked Dolls and Daggers by DL Darby, Leather and Lark by Brynne Weaver, and Firethorne by Nikki J Summers, you will love this book.